Pat McCrory on Crime

Celebrate police who come back stronger after getting shot

Two years ago, just before arriving to deliver the State of the State address, I received a phone call informing me that Highway Patrol Trooper Michael Potts was fighting for his life. You see, during a routine traffic stop on Highway 70, Trooper
Potts was shot four times. He was shot in his hands, shoulder and directly in his face. He was left for dead by the assailant. I traveled to Duke University Medical Center to visit Trooper Potts. Since the shooting, there have been surgeries, grueling
rehabilitative therapy and personal reassessment.

Some advised Trooper Potts to turn in his badge and to pursue a safer line of work. But Trooper Potts did not walk away. Instead, he overcame his obstacles and today, he is assigned to the
North Carolina Highway Patrol Training Academy.

Like Trooper Potts, I'm proud to report the State of North Carolina has come back even stronger. Its people are resilient, and our future is bright.